Why Cellphone-Using Drivers Won't Quit

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It looks like dangerous drivers are really just dangerous all
around. Those who talk on their cellphones while they drive are
also more likely to speed, send texts and emails while driving,
drive while drowsy and not wear their seatbelts, an AAA study
found.

In addition, the study found that most people seem to know how
dangerous it is to use a cellphone
while driving, yet do it anyway. Out of the 3,896 licensed
drivers AAA surveyed, 89 percent thought others who drive while
chatting on the phone are a threat to their personal safety, but
69 percent reported taking calls while driving.

"Ninety percent of respondents believe that distracted driving is
a somewhat or much bigger problem today than it was three years
ago, yet they themselves continue to engage in the same
activities," Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA
Foundation for Traffic Safety, said
in a statement.

Cellphones and other distracting devices are major contributors
to traffic injuries and deaths in the United States. In 2011, an
estimated 387,000 people were injured and 3,331 people died in
car crashes involving distraction, according
to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). (2011 figures are the latest
available from the agency.) Distracted driving accounted for
about 10 percent of that year's traffic fatalities.

Kissinger suggested educating drivers will improve their habits,
but distracted driving seems to be more a problem of temptation
than understanding. Kathleen Bower, AAA's president of public
affairs, agreed: "These same cellphone-using drivers clearly
understand the risk of distraction, yet are still likely to
engage in a wide range of dangerous driving activities."

NHTSA is tackling distracted driving with voluntary guidelines
for automakers, which would be especially relevant to newer
models of cars that boast integration
with people's smartphones. The agency's suggestions include
limits for how much visual information the driver sees at once
and a limit for how much time onboard devices require for
operation, the Detroit
News reported. The traffic agency began writing the
guidelines in February 2012 and is "very, very close to
finalizing" them, NHTSA chief David Strickland said. Major
automakers will talk with the U.S. Office of Management and
Budget before anything is finalized, the Detroit News reported.